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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. C. GOULD.

GRIPPING DEVICE POB. NAIL PLATE EEEDERS.

No. 329,549. Patented Nov. L3, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. C. GOULD.

A GRIPPING DEVICE FOB. NAIL PLATE FEEDERS. N0. 329,549.

Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

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JOHN O. GOULD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR NAIL-PLATE FEEDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,549, dated November3, 1885.

Application filed March 52B, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN C. GoULD, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oi' Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Gripping Devices for Nail-PlateFeeders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention concerns the construction of the gripping devices ofnail-plate feeders.

The main feature of the invention relates to the construction of thatpart of the grippers which seize the nail-plate rod. In all the forms ofgrippers now in use the extent of surfacecontact between the rod andgrippers is very limited, and as a consequence thereof either thenail-plate rod is worn out rapidly or grooves are worn in thegripping-jaws, necessitating frequent renewals of the grippingsurface,or, if that surface is not separate and detachable from the gri ppers,the renewal or replacement of the grippers. In my present invention Imake the gripping jaws or pieces separate from the levers by which theyare carried, usually called the grippers,7 and form said jaws in concaveshape corresponding to the exterior of the rod, and of considerablelengthsay two and a halt' or three inchesand these jaws are mounted uponhorizontal pivots, so that as the grippers oscillate back and forth thejaws will swing to accommodate the changes in the relative angle of thegrippers-and rod without deflecting the rod and without causing wearbetween the surfaces and the rod. This and the other features of 'myinvention are set forth more fully below, and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figurelis a side elevation of myimproved grippers. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a cross-section uponline 3 8 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section upon line 4. 4 0fFig. 2. Fig. 5 shows the intermediate piece detached. Fig. 6 is ahorizontal section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 shows the yokedetached. Figs. 8 and 9 show the interior sides of the two grippers, andFig. l0 is ahorizontal section on line 10 l() of Figs. 3 and 4.

In said drawings, A. represents the supporting-bracket; B, thenail-plate rod; O O, the grippers; D, the stop or push rod; D', thesetscrew for regulating the throw caused by the Serial No. 160,432. (Nomodel.)

stop-rod, and DIl the spring secured tothe rod and the intermediatepiece, vE. c is the pivot upon which the grippers are swung by thepush-rod, and said pivot is supported by setserews a, passing throughthe ends of the fork or yoke I-I, and the gripper O is made rigid uponsaid pivot by the set-screw c. The yoke H carries an F-shapedprojection, it, and by means of said projection and set-screw h', inconnection with the arm G upon the gripper O, the throw of the grippersis further regulated. Theintermediate piece,E,encircles the pivot cloosely, and is formed in the manner illustrated in the drawings. Itiinds support upon the bolt F, whereby the spread ofthe grippers islimited. Such bolt is provided with a globular head, f, and the openingoccupied by said bolt in gripper O' is enlarged, said globular head andenlarged opening being to give the necessary freedom to said gripper.The recess c in the intermediate piece, designed to receive thestop-rod, I now place above the recess e, occupied by the antifrictionroller c2, instead of in front of the latter recess, as shown in someformer feeders constructed by me. This is a` more convenient and cheapermethod of construction. The anti-friction roller e2 acts upon theangling surface s of the gripper O in the usual inanner whenever theplaie-rod is to be seized, and the bearings and cavity wherein saidroller is inserted are completely formed in the casting of the piece E;and when formed in the manner shown the roller will be completely heldtherein by the proximity of gripper O, so that it needs no othersecuring. The pin e", to which the spring Dz is secured, is madehorizontal instead of vertical, as heretofore, for convenience ofmanufacture. The yoke H, I iind, can be more conveniently adjustablysecured to the supporting-bracket by the construction shown in thisapplication than in the manner shown in the application filed by meJanuary 27, 1885, Serial No. 154,091- that is to say, by providing thebracket with an under horizontally-projecting lip, m, upon which theyoke will rest, and securing the parts together by a vertical bolt, m',and washer mi. To permit the adjustment, the opening in the lip mthrough which the bolt passes is laterally enlarged, as indicated bybroken IOC and do not themselves wear away under the friction of therod. In order that they may maintain the direction of the rod in allpositions of the grippers, they are mounted upon horizontal pivots i,thereby allowing them to rock with out detlectin g the rodfrom itsproper line. 'The spring O, by which the grippers are tween thesegripping-jaws, as illustrated. It is thereby made to perform theadditional function of preventing the jaws from clutching the rod whenthat is not desired. The -pivots t' are preferably tapering.

I have alluded to the construction of the intermediate piece, E. Infurther explanation it may be added that the socket e is in the front ofsaid piece, While the recess e is upon the side thereof toward thegripper C, but in a lower plane than said socket e; also, that the pinei* lies in front ofthe roller recess and under socket e. The lip m ofthe bracket A supports the yoke during the adjusting operation, and asthe adjustments of the yoke are very minute it is important that it bethus upheld until the fastening-bolt can be tightened.

Figs. 1l to 14, inclusive, illustrate another feature of the feeder,designed to adapt it to use in different machines where varyinginclinations are required for the plate-rod, the object being to renderthe gripping-jaws so adjustable that they may be changed to accommodatethese various inclinations. To this end I provide the gripping-jaws Iwith downwardly-projecting forked ends Y, which forks lie with theirlimbs at either side of spread after each seizing operati on, I placebehorizontally-adj ustable bolts J, secured inthe grippers C C. Thespread of the forks serves to allow the necessary swing to the parts I,and the position of the bolt determines the inclination of those parts,as will be readilyv understood. The bolts I pass throughhorizontally-elongated slotsj in the gripper-arms,

and through nuts j upon the inner sides of the gripper-arms. Whentightened, the bolts are stationary, and of course may be changed to anyposition allowed bythe limits of the slots j.

I claim-- l. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination,

,with the grippers, of the concave elongated pieces I, forming the jawsby whichl the nailplate rod is seized, substantially as specified.

2,. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination, with the grippers, ofconcave elongated jaws I, for seizing the nail-plate rod, said jawsbeing mounted upon horizontal pivots, substantially as specified.

3. In a nail-plate feeder, the combination,

with grippers and the concave jaws I, of the spreadingspring O, locatedbetween said jaws, substantially as specified.

4. The intermediate piece, E, having recesses for the stop-rod and theroller,and the pin e3, relatively arranged in the mannershown.

5. The yoke H and the parts supported therein, in combination with thebracket A, having the horizontally-projecting lip m, and thesecuring-bolt passing into the yokethrough an elongated slot in the lip,substantially as specified.

6. The gripping-surface pieces I, having depending forks 1, incombination with the adjusting-bolts J, substantially as specified.

' JOHN C. GOULD.

Vitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, QHAs. J.' BAUR.

